Cong MLA stages dharna in Uttarakhand Assembly

Dehradun: Congress MLA Shailendra Mohan Singhal on Wednesday staged a sit-in in the Uttarakhand Assembly demanding an FIR against those named in Bhati Commission`s report on an alleged scam during the previous BJP government in the state.

Singhal sat on the dharna in the Vidhan Sabha gallery soon after the day`s proceedings began saying a named FIR be lodged against former BJP Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank during whose tenure the alleged scam took place.

Singhal, who represents Jaspur constituency in the House, later called off his dharna after the intervention of Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna.

Bhati Commission`s report on Uttarakhand Tarai Evam Beej Vikas Nigam Ltd scam was tabled in the House on Tuesday.

The probe panel constituted by the Bahuguna government last year is looking into more than half-a-dozen alleged scams during the previous BJP government in the state.

State Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat endorsed Singhal`s demand saying it was justified while the opposition BJP termed it as a "mere drama".

"This is mere drama. It is being done at the behest of the government to malign BJP leaders and divert people`s attention from the huge scam in SIDCUL land deals," Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajay Bhatt told reporters.
Terming the Bhati Commission report as a pack of lies, he said constitutional norms were violated while constituting the probe panel.
"We have told the Speaker that a CBI inquiry be launched not just into SIDCUL land scam but also into the constitution of Bhati Commission as well as into scams, if any, during the previous BJP government," Bhatt said.